NRL 360 - Knights in the hunt for Dylan Brown? Plus Rooster regret on signing - 28/02/25

A two in three sixty revul League from every angle, brought to you by Makers, and we are back in three month stretch Street. It's Vegas two point zero continues right here on Fox League. I'm're on a little earlier today because the NRL fan fest. He's on the saffoon. Actually can see they are piling in and joining me.

The Great Jordan Kallis.

That's between the journal Australian Michael carry Arnas and Dave Riccio. I need to take a double look here because I'm pretty sure I saw this suit jacket last night.

Yeah, so let what's down? This break on the floor of Circus Circus Casino.

Really the great Prenon Reid, He's left it on the floor. That's a sea. I picked it up. You looking good? You look better than breeding put it that way better. How has Vegas been, Mick? If you have you enjoyed it since you've been here?

Yeah, it's been awesome. I'm going to look at the people behind us and the anticipation building into this weekend game.

It builds. How about you?

God, did you enjoyed last Yeah? I survived another twenty four hours in Vegas. But it's it's starting build in it like you've since that the occasions just around the corner.

So very excited. Well, let's get to some footy and we've got some breaking news. Actually, I want to get to the journals straight away. Dylan Brown some speculation around his contracts. Will he stay, paramatter, will he go? What's the latest information?

Yeah, Brath Look, this is certainly a significant story as far as being one of the stories of the preseason and in.

His relation to Dylan Brown's future.

We know that he has those clauses in his contract at Paramatter that have this situation where he can get out at the end of this season, and it's the Newcastle Knights coming in with a ten year offer, ten year offer of thirteen million dollars bro thirteen million dollars.

One point three a season for Dylan Brown.

Now, I can tell you for the first time of this entire process, the Eels are getting nervous.

Well they have to be. Let's let's just get back to that guild. Ten years, one point three million dollars a year, yep, to go to the Newcastle Knights. I've already got Kleon pomer who's the highest paid player in the game in the game. How are they going, how are they going to be able to afford it? And is it worth it?

Well, they can afford it, Brath because if you look at their cap, they get a bit of free space next year. So they've been hamstrung a little bit of the Newcastle Knights by an inability to move players on or get rid of some players that are on significant money. We saw Daniel Safeedi leave at the end of last year. They've got Jackson Hastings off contract this year. He won't be reassigned. Jaden Brayley won't be resigned. Adam Elliott's on a significant deal as well.

He's also off.

Contract, as is jack Edington. So you add that up and it's significant money.

Let's get back to PARAMOUNTA. Why are they nervous? Can they match the offer? Can they get anywhere near it? Do they want to keep him? What's the situation with them?

They're sitting at around a million dollars a season the Eels and now you feel as though that's a fair enough offer. And I've got to say I agree, I agree totally. As far as we're Dylan Brown has got to in his career and what we've seen so far.

I think that's fair enough.

But when you start to expand on that contract over a ten year period, it's a significant difference a million compared to one point three And that is why they did. They know Dylan wants to stay at the Heels. They know that, but do they Well, he believe that, you believe it. I believe he wants so he was.

So you think he's worth of breath, right, he's he's a five A players in your position. Yeah, he's twenty five.

Now, the reality is you've got to play overs for halves, yes, today's game, because there's a few and far between quality ones. I think for the age that he's at right now, his best foot he is ahead of him. He's only going to get better. But for that money on a ten year deal when you haven't won a premiership is big money. But I'd be willing to take a risk

Ten years though, like we see fifty percent of them worked in Dally, Jerry Evans and Jason turn Maloll, ten years is too.

Long, Lordy Braith me, this is a risk beyond all means.

As far as I see it as a desperate play by a desperate footy club that's trying to get a significant signing and you keep raising Kalum Ponger, I think it's an additional play to keep kylem Ponger. Kaylen wants good players around him right now. The Knights are losing more than their signing.

They need good players around him right because otherwise they're going to waste Kaylen Ponger's best years. He's a Premiership you know, he's an elite player. He's a number one player, pop paid player in the game, and if you don't surround him with good talent then you've just wasted his best years. So ideally, I'm sure the Newcastle Knights wouldn't want to give him ten years, but as Braith said, that's what they need to do to get him out of the paramatter.

From this point of view, right, if they're trying to sign Dylan for ten years, Kaylen's there's already speculation whether he'll stay or go, So if they're going to sign him on ten, they'd have to try and upgrade and extend Kalen at the same time, going next in two years.

Yeah, but they can't do that on the provisor that Kallen might leave, right, But Adam Dylan Brown helps their case to keep Kalen. Right, that they need Kaalen to co how how they're going to win a comp They're not going to win a com do.

This break right to get that money means you've got to run the team. Definitely, that's right. He's got it, there's no doubt.

About But both have you seen anything in Dylan Brown that suggests he's a half back, and not only a half back, a half back to can steer acide with a rookie five eighteen Fletcher sharp that's going to be the scenario.

It is you said it before, David. You know it's a desperate play from a desperate club. But I like I like Dylan. I think I think he's got I think he's a great player as well.

You know, he's not worth one point three million dollars.

Everyone knows that if Nathan Cleary's for't get him, who do they go for?

That's the issue.

They're just they'll be treading water to night. So they've got to go all in make a play and they need a circuit breaker.

There, Mick, you just rattled off all the players that they need to let go and have to let go because they've paid over for they find themselves in this cap issue.

Yet they're about to make a play for ten years on a player that has shown no.

Significant elite quality as a half back, of which they're attempting to sign.

There's no doubt, Dave that in the last two years he hasn't kicked as much as we all thought he would. I'd suggest right he was the best twenty two year old in the game at one stage. He's twenty four. Now, he's played one hundred plus games. He's about to hit his sweet spot. And if I'm the Newcastle Knights and the way that roster is at the moment, I'm doing that. If you said to Newcastle would you like to not give him a ten year deal, I think they'd agree they don't want.

To do that.

The other key thing is, guys, is it's the kiss of death to all those young rookies coming through. There's no half back in the lower grades of the Knights that's going to stick around given it you've just signed Brown on a ten year deal. Yeah, but it's a sharp through twenty eight. There's an opportunity to play outside. Dylan Brown felt as Shaps still got his l plates on, right, We're not sure if he's going to.

Be the long term answer? Is this just a smart plan from the management of Dylan Brown though, you know, like they're put him out there early that the email was sent out. His price tag's gone up. If he wants to stay at Paramatta, he could just end up landing there and landing there in the end and getting a hell of a lot more money, which is a good, good work by his management.

Is that going to happen because Paramatt, as Dave said, they're not going to give you more money. They're not putting any extra years on that contract. Right, It's a smart plan in the sense that he's got that offer there.

It's just going over seven years now.

I'm with you, Gordy, and I don't like any long term deals and all these, especially if you haven't won a comp Yeah, I think it's the time the game stands up to the manager's ten years. For that, there's way too much and clubs and clubs shouldn't be bullied into it.

Correct me if I'm wrong.

It's the same management company that looks after Jason Talmalolo, who, as we know, Will So secured a ten year deal at the Cowboy.

All right, we've got some breaking news that has just come in actually with one of our penelists. Let's take a look at this. The great part getting kissed by Nick politis a break? Is that a Greek tradition? Is that for a Greek it actually is? It's the kiss of death? Or so it? Douz might not be around too much longer. Anyway. Let's get to the footy. We love you Bus all right and Nick as well. Let's get to the foot Let's get to the footy. Brandon Smith,

He's won't be the Rooster's beyond this year.

I think we're all come pretty go this year.

Well if something immediately, if someone came for Brandon Smith, the Rusters will say thank you. Right, he's on eight hundred thousand dollars. He's not going to play to the mid point of the season though, break that's the issue coming off the back of us. True that acl So if you're a rival club, you're not going to touch him this year. Well, he's not going to play. He's going to take some time to find his feet again.

This is designing the Rooster's, no doubt.

Great.

I'll probably say they don't, but it's pretty clear that it hasn't worked out with Brandon Smith.

And I don't agree with you, Dave. Like everyone knows, I've played for the Roosters. I support the Roosters, but when they signed Brandon and you know it was I thought it was a strange one. You know, because they were looking for a genuine nine. I said it at the top. I've got criticized for I got criticized for it because I thought they're paying too much money for

It look no, not at these stage.

But remembering he's coming off at ycl Bright, so no club's going to jump into a player that's still in a recovery phase.

Could he go back home to the Cowboys where he started.

His career, Well, he came out and said he doesn't want to go back to the Cowboys, said that he said that only didn't.

Tell Wayne that he was going to go to Redcliffe. He did, and he told a few other clubs he was going to go to them.

Paramatta were also connected to Brandon, but I made inquiries there and certainly there's no interest whatsoever.

There's a lot going on at the roofs of Spencer Menu. Now the rumors just won't go away. I'm hearing that they are rumors. But you guys may know more than me that he wants to move on. This has just come to light over the last few weeks. I've heard it's just speculation. Can you guys, is there any truth to that?

It's it has done the rounds to the point where rival clubs have reached out to Spencer and his agent to get to gauge an interest if he would be able to move on, and at the moment they're saying no. So there has been this snowball of in your windows surrounding Spencer land who there's no doubt about that, to the point where clubs have gone we take him.

You know, clubs would sign him.

But who, Well, look, I asked the question, you know you got to know, you've got to know a couple of coming. Well, you look at the clubs that would you know he's got to Dragons. They just signed cool.

I agree, Gordy the Dragon.

You look at the board, that's a third am ah, Well, what are you going to play as a power forward.

He's a middle fencer.

Spencer had played there, You've got you know, he's close with Karen Serrato at the Bulldogs. But you go back to the Penrith Panthers. With James Fisher Harris leaving the club.

You know what, he actually really good for the trade. He'd be perfect moving.

Look, as far as I'm aware, and I think we'll see on the on the back of that kiss from Nick Politis, we'll see Buzz conduct an interview with Nick in this in this weekend's Telegraph.

But that is wrong with the Roosters, right, Nick May leaves Spencer.

They don't normally lose their talent like this. The Roosters.

They have been, you know, the mby of every club like the Roosters have been, you know, the silver Tails for a long long time.

They don't see me panicking now. They must have something up their sleeve or they believe in the players. He got coming through. But the real concern was that trial, because you looked at the result, and you looked at the team that they had on the field and there was only what one or two maybe players that were missing from their top squad. And I know a lot of the Roosters fans in these and some of are concerns.

Absolutely there is and you know it that this has been viewed as very much a dip year for the Roosters, and I think every fan those I think the game knows that the Roosters doing for a tough season and anything better than that will be a surprise.

All right, Thank you, journals that you meet. Thank you Dave loved the jacket. All right, let's get down to Lara Pitt, who is with the crowd.

Yeah, we're Backbrape, and I am so impressed what an awesome turnout we have already we are ours away from the event before the main event on Saturday, and of course talking about of course is a sharkis fan yelling out there. I'm so impressed with the fan turnout. They are here, of course for the fan fest tonight, which was enormous last year, and we're expecting it to be bigger and better this season. The red carpet has already been rolled out all the teams are going to be

Yeah.

Have we got any.

Panthers fans here? Panthers fans? Yeah, well, there were plenty of them at the fan hub a Resorts Well. Today they were lining up out the street just to get a glimpse of their favorite players. We were lucky enough to catch up with their premiership winning half back and believe me, he's zeroing in on defending another title. Nathan, this is crazy, a huge turnout of support for your premieres. What do you think of all this?

Yeah, it's mental, honestly, It's like, never would of gender this. Hadn't even been out of playing Vagas and having this sort of turnout. So yeah, it's just it's awesome.

You've had fan base before, you've won grand finals and the Penalith support back home is enormous. Did you actually expect it to be like this?

No, not really, to be honest, Like I knew there were fair fe Aussies coming over, but even just all the English fans just added the atmosphere and the line was that long at like nine am like two hours ago, so it's it's yeah, it's just crazy.

Now. I guess you had an idea of what you thought Las Vegas would be like you watched it play out.

What's it been like?

Has anything surprised you since you guys have settled in.

Not really, It's just unbelievable, Like what a place to play an r L game. And you know, as the week goes on, it's just building more and more. A lot more fans coming in now, and yeah, it's cool to be able to do these sort of promos and give back to them, and it's all building up towards Saturday night. Now.

Someone told me it's Dad's ivans first trip to Las Vegas.

Have you shown him around?

What's he been up to?

I think yeah, he had fun the first few nights here and then yeah, he's been locked in on getting to win. And it's actually his birthday on Saturday night, so hopen to get a win for him.

Yeah, you can celebrate after hopefully.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Now the players have a Chocolate block schedule, but I've seen them seeing some sights as well. How they filled their time.

Yeah, just trying to take it all in.

You know, it's obviously a business trip for us, but you still got to enjoy it for what it is and just race and all Vega says, so much Solfa and so much to sea and yeah, the boys have been doing all sorts of things.

Now it is two competition points and the title defense gets back underway this weekend. How have you guys reset and got yourselves motivated to climb that mountain all over again?

Yeah, I think just not thinking too much about going after our fifth premiership. It's more so just the one. Everyone starts on zero points and you've got to build those wins. And this weekend's no different. Obviously, Sharks are hungry and they're a great site, so we know we're going to have to be We're gonna be up against it and have to play our best foot and just build as the ear goes on. So I'm really excited for it because.

There are more faces lost this season and that's what everyone's talking about. Can you do it again? How is it that you guys are able to rejuvenate?

I think just drawing on the new energy that comes from the new players. At the end of the day, there's not many guys on the side that have actually been a part of all those premiership teams. So people want to taste their success and they're hungry to just get better. And that's a common feeling amongst the group, is just that that are sort of earning for growth and longing for it and trying to get better each day.

And I think you know successive bipokes of that.

Every step of the way of your success, you've had your ome Luwai and the Halves alongside you. It is a huge change, Like how are you feeling about all of that personally and starting a new chapter with a new Harves partner.

Yeah, it is a big change and obviously going to miss him, but accepted it pretty quickly. We obviously knew sort of pretty early on last year that he was moving on and happy to send him out the way we did. But now it's to be able to doing that new combination with Tolly this weekend, and yeah, I actually find that really motivated and exciting for me to bring a young guy in and try and help him reach his full potential.

Jack Colly, is where you've gone this weekend? You've got blaster Langy here. I guess how do you see that playing out throughout the season with options up your sleep.

Well, I think it's good to have options obviously competition for that spot, and it is very important one. But Colly's been great through the whole preseason and had a fair bit of taste first grade last year, and yeah, I think he's going to get better and better. And obviously Blaze is there too, so yeah, we'll see how it goes. But I'm excited to play with Polly this week.

And what about the experienced heads with you out there, Dylan Edwards, and we know how important ISAEO is to you. How are their mental state going into another season and trying to chase that five peek?

Yeah, just really excited.

I think, you know, I think it's a great opportune for all of us as leaders, given that Rome and Fisher both left and they were, you know, leaders of the side, when they step up even more and help these young guys come through.

And play their best.

So yeah, it's exciting for us and.

The band beest tonight. That is what is the centerpiece of the week. Have you been told what to expect there, because I mean, you think this is huge, It's next level out there tonight.

Yeah, I don't know I'm trying to have too many expectations. I've heard from a few people it's pretty wide. And we got to go down and see free once Tree on the weekend. Even just seeing like our advertisement up on the roof was pretty sick. So I can't imagine what it's going to be like tonight.

Lastly, before we let you go, it was, I guess a big relief for rugby league fans, not just Panthers fans, to read in the paper that you're not going anywhere that rugby union, no matter how much throw at you. You love your league. When we're looking at your goals and your standards, what does that look.

Like for this year?

What do you want to achieve with so much already ticked off the box?

Yeah, you know, I'm not a massive goal set to be honest. I try and just tick off little goals each day and trying to get better each day. And I still feel like there's a lot of growth for me and I find that really excited and motivating. And yeah, rugby leg has always been my passion, So yeah, I just want to get better and hopefully have a relatively injury free season would be nice. But yeah, I'm excited.

Beautiful, thanks so much.

I can will let you back to the fans.

Cheers, thank you, thank you.

What a class act. Nathan clearly looking very relaxed. He's so classic, you know that the way that he plays, for the way he handles himself off field. He's Rubbie strumers that he's going to go to rugby Union and he's looking for a five peet, which is huge, joining me beginners.

Nice to be here, brek A.

You're enjoying it, Yeah, enjoying Vegas.

Fantastic and beautiful second year. Yeah, great to see Nathan just in that Spirit's great that he's going to obviously get on the field on Saturday here. Obviously some concern with that shoulder over the summer, but great news for the game that Nathan Cleary was playing. He's had a little spell to today.

He did talk us through this apparently he left Vegas.

Yeah, he's just great. To Mary Fowler, oh wow. Yeah, a little bit of downtime, Yeah, a little bit of a break before the game.

You like that preparation for the game.

He can do what everyone he wants to go and see Mary in San Diego.

I'll forgo now.

Is this going to be he's front of the AI Blake like he's one of those players. Well, is the ten year contract man? Absolutely, you wouldn't even think twice about signing for ten years. You know what, whatever's good for your preparation that if you say it's good, we're going to believe that.

I agree, he can do what ever he wants the way he's performed over the past few seasons. Now, is this going to be his legacy year? No, Jerome Lewis. Jerome Lewis obviously has moved on. They've lost some key players, which they have done for the past few seasons. What do we expect from him?

I think you'll continue to see Nathan improve as a football player.

And that's what he's about.

Nathan Is, I think more than any other player I've ever come across. He is the process driven rugby league player. He will work on his own game and we've seen that when he's been out of and mister fairban footy through injury, Nathan will be working on the computer thinking of ways how to break down teams defenses, and then you'll put that in practice and then you'll put it into a game. Nathan is that short step baby step player.

Brandy, That's what drives Nathan.

But no one said that you could do two in a row or even three in a row, just in the current climate, right, How do they stay motivated?

That is one of the great mysteries, Gordy, because no one's been able to do it. And we've had some great players, We've had some great teams over the over the decades that just haven't been able to do it. This is such a special group of players that no one's ever come across them, really, But I think it's led by the senior players. It is Nathan Cleary, Isaiah Dylan Edwards, and then the support stuff like Brian Liam, Liam Martin, those players that have been part of it.

Just quickly before we get to me, is he the best seven that Penrifth have ever produced?

Of course he is.

There's no argument, So thank you for that question.

We're coming from former great one of the best I've ever had. That is number six. All right, Mick plays to Lungey. There's a lot of questions around why he isn't playing five eight. I think it was Gus Good who was pretty outspoken about it. What's your thoughts on this?

I just think how can we how can we question iv and Cleary's decision making is taking them to four straight Grand Final wins. They've beurned in four of the last five Grand Finals. And he's nurtured some of the best talent in our game at the moment, from out of those junior rep systems all the way through the production line at Penrith. Now we understand that he's had shoulder surger out of the summer. Let's not forget Blaize Telang. He started two games at five to eight last year.

He's had shoulder shoulder reconstruction which picked up an injury playing for Samoa in the over there in England, so he's had a very disrupted preseason and you want him to be able to work with Nathan and Isaiah oh and Dylan Edwards and have a great combination. He said, very little time to do that because those both those boys have come back from shoulder surgeries, Nathan and Dylan, so there's been very little time for Blaze to work

Brandy.

Every player that Penrith lou seems to go to another club and they're great leaders, but you've been able to fill their spot. Fisher Harris is one of those guys and I've heard you talk about him. There's a presence about him, there's this calmness's presence. He's like the leader. Have you noticed that. That's a big hold of film.

Well, there's personalities that are missing too, and Jerome was a great personality, yes, but James Fisher Harris was that personality that it didn't rely on him doing his talking.

It was just his presence.

It's just way looks, the way he trains, the way he plays, the way he treats his teammates. And it's impossible to replace that.

It's impossible.

And we've seen from the Warriors now, and you listen to the Warriors players talk through the preseason challenge what an impact Jake Fisher Harris has made on them already his presence. They speak about his presence and you can't replace that, Gordy, but the team has to evolve and it'll be different to what it was last year.

I'll tell you whether they'll miss him where they'll miss him. Go to your former captain Breath. You obviously captain clubs too. You cannot be the best leader every single day for twenty seven weeks. You can't do it. It's so mentally draining. And that's why when you look at the leaders at Penrith Isao takes the slack at times when Nathan's out of the footy side, Dylan Edward steps up and has moments.

Heymik, what about your role club the Shafts. Can they take it? Can they take the next step? They've always been around there, They're super consistent, like they defend well, they always get to the business end of the season. Yes, but they've never just been able to take that next step.

Aiden Vanilla Blake.

He adds another layer, doesn't he to what's already a quality footy side. Look, Adam Fanuwell, Blake for me is the closest thing that we've seen since Andrew for Feeder, and I speak so highly of Andrew. I absolutely loved what he brought. He was unpredictable, he was big, he was powerful. He could lead the way for run meters if we needed him to. He could also drift wide and be creative on an edge for Newall, Blake's footwork and the way that he can move for a big

Now.

If you look at where Cronuller at times have fallen short, it's because they want to push the ball lateral all the time when Brailey's out and direct Pronulla or Robetti footy side, and I think Fanwall Blake brings that for them. The challenge for Adam Fanuell Blake is to be able to maintain the defensive standards that Craig fits given and Steve Price set. That's the challenge with the footy absolutely takes them to another level. Can he maintain their defensive

Where to get to break We'll be back after it. After it will have Nicko Hines, and Andrew Abdah and Blake Brayley as well coming up. Stick Around